Letters to the Editor – April 2018 issue

Rotary must slash PR costs

Community service is the backbone of Rotary and plays a vital role in enhancing its public image. Rotary’s PolioPlus and polio eradication programmes have immensely enhanced the image of Rotarians across the world and even the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is investing hugely in the polio initiative.

This should help us understand that our service helps us get donations and it’s our job as Rotarians to fulfil the expectations of the world. Hence our programmes and events must reflect simplicity. The PR spending of Rotary International to enhance its public image is 2–3 per cent. I urge Rotary clubs to bring down their PR costs and instead of focusing on grand events, simply focus on our ­community projects.

Mahendra Dhakad, RC Mandsaur — D 3040

The article Wash or Wipe? is an excellent eye-opener for Indians trying to adopt all Western practices. This write-up should be published in The Rotarian too. I congratulate the writer Rakesh Bhatia for the article.

Sujata Srinivasan, RC Cuddalore Central — D 2981

Heroic women of Kovai

Driving a car to reach London from Coimbatore covering a distance of 26,800 km, traversing 24 ­countries having different terrains by three heroic ladies, is really an adventure to be appreciated. Even for a formal visit to the US and Canada to see our ­children living there, we have to endure many hurdles on the way.

But these heroic ladies have proved to have the mettle of ­astronauts by achieving their goal successfully. We salute Meenakshi Arvind, ­Mookambiga Rathinam and Priya Rajpal and other good-hearted people in their heroic achievement.

P Iyyapparajan, RC Theni — D 3000

Excellent Editorial

Congrats on the excellent Editorial on integrity. The write-up is superb as every sentence is written with deep reflection giving a strong message. We Rotarians do a lot of good work and today the world is a better place because of us. Yes, our membership strength is minuscule compared to India’s population, but this small population of Rotarians should be able to impress and influence various sections of society, including politics, on the kind of values that Rotary asks us to imbibe. But most of us are sitting in our comfort zones and are thus taken for a ride. True we cannot change things overnight but we have been quiet for too long. The values of life have been diluted and the chalta hai attitude has engulfed many of us.

Former President APJ Abdul Kalam was always asking one question at every school and college he addressed: “How many of you would like to join politics?” and hardly few hands went up each time. That is because politics has become an anathema to society at large and because of this we have daylight robberies of thousands of crores.

Forget protesting, we don’t even raise our voice; the greatest sin of modern world is apathy.

Robert F Rego, RC Bajpe — D 3181

The thought-provoking Editorial on the various scams ­perpetrated on India by some unscrupulous ­businessmen cautions Rotarians on the need to keep their integrity and honour intact and uphold good values with ­self-restraint and discipline.

Once in Rotary, these big industrialists would be transformed because Rotary has the touchstone of a 4-Way Test. But the irony is that we can’t make everybody Rotarians.

Can I envision a world where the message of Rotary will spread to every individual so that it can be free from corruption and a better place to live in.

Arun Kumar Dash, RC Baripada — D 3262

Parrot speak

I am a non-Rotarian from Erode in Tami Nadu and a regular reader of your magazine. I liked the article Ask the Parrot by Jaishree as ­vocations like parrot astrology give some income to needy people. In Club Matters, it is to be appreciated that medical ­insurance policies were issued for the ­differently-abled by RC Tirupur Knit City, D 3202. Kudos to all the donors.

Sampath Kumar, Erode

A realistic vision

The article What millennials want… sketches a realistic vision with future plan. The transcript with facts and figures has touched our mind. It rightly points out that our mission is to reduce unemployment and social conflict. The implication of this cause can be seen recently in our social and political scenario. My compliments to RI General Secretary John Hewko.

Soumitra Chakraborty, RC Tollygunge — D 3291

Thank you

Thank you Rasheeda Bhagat for writing about St Jude in A helping hand in such a warm and humane manner. We are truly grateful to the various Rotary clubs who have been supporting St Jude in a sustained manner.

Usha Banerji, non-Rotarian

A motivating story

The article Where Rotary is more than a preferred partner turns the ­spotlight on a convincing step for improvement of rural ­Maharashtra. Also, it made me feel good as a ­Rotarian of RC Pune Magarpatta City where I was part of the team that gave a few kits to the Zilla ­Parishad schools in Magarpatta. Such articles will energise more Rotarians to get connected with this activity.

Milind Shinde, RC Pune, Magarpatta City — D 3131

Equal weightage

I must congratulate the ­Editorial team for the December issue with prime focus on the Northeast and RI District 3240. It was a ­long-awaited step taken by you. We the ­Rotarians of D 3240 were overjoyed to see one of district events adorning the cover page of our prestigious ­magazine. We are blessed by nature in ­abundance in D 3240 and the sense of fellowship is ­remarkable among the ­Rotarians of the nine states in the district.

I must also congratulate the Rotarians of D 3282 for their immense love for Rotary and the exemplary level of participation in the multidistrict meet at Agartala aptly named Setubandhan. You have proved that good work from any part of the country will get equal weightage in Rotary News.

Dr Prosenjit Ghosh, RC Green Land Silchar — D 3240